🚀 go-pugleaf

>>>>> "Maynard" == Maynard Handley <handleym@ricochet.net> writes:

  Maynard> In article <okln565sew.fsf@proline.sbc.man.ac.uk>, Phillip
  Maynard> Lord <plord@hgmp.mrc.ac.uk> wrote:

  Maynard> Not so. There are plenty of cases where after enough cries
  Maynard> wolf, people simply switch off. Once upon a time, it was a
  Maynard> serious insult to be called a racist---now, there have been
  Maynard> enough bogus claims that some person is racist for saying
  Maynard> something someone else didn't like, that the supposed
  Maynard> insult has become meaningless.

        I cant comment on insults in your country. In mine however
last year it was found that the Metropolitan police force (that is the
police for London and therefore the biggest police force in the UK)
was "institutionally racist" after they totally failed to investigate
the brutal murder of a young man because he was black. People may have
got inured to racism at times, but at the moment its a very big
issue. 

  Maynard> There have been enough lies about how foreign aid to poor
  Maynard> countries is actually helping those countries
        
        I would tend to agree here. People are extremely suspicious of 
the motivations of many governmental aid agencies, or of those of big 
business. I tend to view this as a positive thing myself, because as
you say the reasons and the stated reasons are often totally
different. 

  Maynard> Politically-minded types generally seem to lag 15 years
  Maynard> behind the rest of the nation in mindset

         Maybe this is the case. I guess I would have to class
myself as politically minded so I suppose that I cant really comment
on this fairly. Although obviously I think its wrong in my case!

  Maynard> This is probably why you and Chomsky feel that obvious lies
  Maynard> are a sensible tactic. However remember the lesson of Bill
  Maynard> Clinton's affair---the people are not always as ignorant of
  Maynard> the agendas of others as it may seem.

         I don't think that I stated that obvious lies are a sensible 
tactic anywhere. Apart from anything else if it is an obvious lie its
extremely likely to be effective at anything. 

         What I was suggesting was that when I talk, argue or
otherwise discuss issues, I am representing my own view point. I work
within my own mind, and can not escape that however I choose. At times
I write extreme polemics, at other times I am more measured, but I
always have an element of polemicism in my writing, because I believe
that it is unavoidable. I am biased my who I am, and what I believe. 

        Now some people tell me that I should sit back and look at 
the world and then come to an understanding. Well this is true of
course but you can only do this to an extent. You are always affected
by your preconceived notions however hard your try not to be. Its only
on the odd occasions that you manage to overcome these notions. A
great experience when it happens. 

        Chomsky and I (cool to be in such honoured company!) have a
different world view. But it is not us who are prejudicial, and you
who sees clearly. We are all prejudiced. 

        Phil